This invention relates generally to a device or system for alerting a train or other movable rail equipment in motion on a set of tracks when said train or rail equipment is in proximity to a derailer positioned on the tracks, and more particularly to a device or system that actively produces a signal to the train or rail equipment passing near the device warning of the proximity of the derailer on the tracks.
In the railroad industry it is often necessary to conduct maintenance or repairs of various sections of rail or tracks. This is particularly relevant in high rail traffic locations, such as for example in rail yards. In addition, sections of track may simply be shut down due to condition or other factors. Further, it is often desirable to prevent the undesired or unauthorized movement of trains or rail cars across particular sections of track at particular times. When sections of track are shut down or need to be blocked from rail traffic, it is a standard procedure to place and engage one or more “derail” or “derailer” devices on the tracks to prevent a train or other rail equipment from traversing those tracks where the derailer is engaged. These derailer devices force the errant train or other rail equipment off of the tracks and onto the ground or onto a side rail beside the tracks at the position of the derailer.
There are several configurations of derailer devices—these include what are generally referred to in the industry as “hinged”, “slide” and “portable”. All derailers comprise a ramped wedge component that is designed to be positioned over the top of one rail along a section of tracks. This wedge is shaped such that should a locomotive or other rail car traverse the derailer, the wedge will lift the wheels riding on the rail with the derailer and direct those wheels across and over the rail to the ground beside the tracks or onto a platform or other surface adjacent the derailer. “Hinged” and “slide” derailers are “permanent” or “fixed” derailing devices that are attached to the tracks or the ties for extended periods of time. Both include a wedge that may be positioned atop the rail in an “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position, or alternately in one or more other positions not atop the rail, in an “Inactive” or “OFF” or “NON-DERAILING” position. That is, when not in use or engaged, the wedge component of the derailer can be folded or collapsed or moved away from the top of the rail in order to leave the rail unobstructed. For “hinge” derailers, the wedge rotates or pivots about a hinge or pivot pin to move the wedge between the “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position and the “Inactive” or “OFF” or “NON-DERAILING” position. “Slide” derailers, as their name implies utilize a sliding mechanism to move the wedge between the “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position and the “Inactive” or “OFF” or “NON-DERAILING” position. Virtually all “hinge” and “slide” derailer devices can be constructed for manual or automated operation, and can be constructed to operate locally or remotely.
In contrast, “portable” derailers are simply constructed for temporary attachment to the rail with the wedge always configured in the “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position atop the rail. In order to prevent the derailer from being thrown from the track and failing to cause a derail when necessary, “portable” derailers are rigidly secured to the rail with, for example, heavy bolts or clamps.
It is critical that when a derailer is positioned upon a section of tracks with the wedge in the “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position—that is, when the derailer is configured to derail—that rail traffic has adequate notice of such “active” derailer in order to prevent unintended or otherwise unnecessary derailings from occurring along that section of the track. In order to provide a warning of the placement and/or activation of a derailer, regulations require that a blue flag or a blinking blue light must be placed on or near the derailer upon positioning “portable” derailers on the tracks or positioning the wedge of a “permanent” derailer in the “Active” or “ON” or “DERAILING” position.
Unfortunately, this type of warning relies upon workers to properly place the flags or blinking lights and to properly remove or deactivate the derailer when the flags and blue lights have been removed. This is not always the case, and accidental derailings have occurred due to work crews forgetting to remove or deactivate a derailer after removing the flags and blue lights. While some derailers have been designed to incorporate devices that automatically elevate a blue flag upon activation on a section of tracks, and other derailer systems have been devised to allow for remote activation of warning blue lights for the derailers, these improvements still fall short of providing assurance of an active warning whenever a derailer is placed and active on a set of tracks.
It would therefore be desirable to have a device that would automatically provide a warning signal to rail traffic in the vicinity of a derailer that has been activated and positioned on a section of tracks until the derailer has either been deactivated or removed from the tracks. It would further be desirable for such a derailer to be configured to generate the warning signal without the need for any external power to activate the warning signal.
As will become evident in this disclosure, the present invention provides benefits over the existing art.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.